Housing News

On November 6, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it will extend the deadline for public comment on the proposed changes to the Housing Counseling Program regulations to December 12.  It also released a list of frequently asked questions to help guide commenters' responses.

On November 12, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx  announced the release of the Location Affordability Portal (LAP), a cost calculation tool that allows users to estimate housing and transportation costs for neighborhoods across the country.

FY14 PEER-TO-PEER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GRANTS AVAILABLE Attention CDBG Non-Entitlement Communities

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has issued a new report on the impact of sequestration to date and consequences if sequestration continues.  It reports that state and local housing agencies are currently facing deep shortfalls in funding to renew Housing Choice Vouchers for the 2.1 million low-income families using them.  If Congress does not cancel sequestration as part of an agreement to fund the government beyond January 14, these shortfalls will continue with harsher consequences for low-income familie

$1.4 billion investment in affordable housing pledged over five years This week, the House and Senate enacted the $1.4 billion housing bond bill.  The bill, which is now before Governor Patrick for his signature, is the largest housing bond bill ever passed and is critical to ensuring that the state has the resources over the next five years to provide additional affordable housing opportunities for families, the elderly, and people with disabilities.  The $1.4 billion five-year authorizing legislation includes the following investments:

The Community Preservation Coalition (CPC) announced that the State Comptroller has found that the state's FY2013 budget surplus will be sufficient to transfer $25 million to the statewide CPA (Community Preservation Act) Trust Fund this month. The $25 million will be added to fees collected on transactions at the state's Registries of Deeds, the traditional source of revenue for the CPA Trust Fund.  The Coalition also reports that the Registry filing fees collected for CPA have risen by almost 6% during the past twelve months.

Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki accepted a national award from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) on November 6 recognizing the Commonwealth’s leadership in pursuing a strategy to increase the supply of housing needed, and in the places needed, for its workforce.

DHCD has opened the public comment period on its draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing ("AI").  As detailed in the public hearing notice, DHCD has posted the full Analysis, an Executive Summary and additional materials on its Fair Housing and Civl Rights

On November 4, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced the award of $6 million in affordable housing resources to build 44 new units of housing for homeless veterans in Brockton, Chelsea and Quincy.  The announcement comes during a week dedicated to preventing and reducing the number of homeless veterans in the Commonwealth.

On November 1st, the Patrick Administration announced the first funding awards under its new High Leverage Asset Preservation Program (HILAPP), aimed at supporting the comprehensive modernization and preservation of the state’s public housing stock. The Program provides grants to local housing authorities that are able to secure matching funds from local and/or other non-DHCD sources.